EXCLUSIVE Iconic star of The Goonies steps out on rare outing ahead of 40th anniversary of the film
The Goonies fans got a surprise this week when one of the film's most beloved stars stepped out in Beverly Hills—just in time for the 40th anniversary of the iconic adventure.
Now 50 and working as an entertainment lawyer, former actor Jeff Cohen rose to fame playing the clumsy but lovable Chunk in the 1985 cult classic produced by Steven Spielberg and co-starring Corey Feldman, Josh Brolin, and Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan.
Sporting a sharp suit jacket, stylish jeans, and a maroon fedora, the 80s icon looked worlds away from the disheveled, ice cream-obsessed teen who once stole scenes hunting pirate treasure.
His fit figure was also a far cry from his younger self—best remembered for the unforgettable Truffle Shuffle, a belly-jiggling dance that became a pop culture staple.
After The Goonies, he appeared on Family Ties and had a stint on Amazing Stories before stepping away from acting.
In 2015, Jeff revealed how losing his puppy fat was the end of his acting career.
The lawyer was forced to quit Hollywood for good when he could no longer put himself forward for the 'fat kid roles.'
'There were basically about four fat kids in town, so every time there was a fat kid role you saw the same people at the audition,' he said.
'It was survival of the fattest. But when I hit puberty, it was a career ender for me. I was transforming from Chunk to hunk and I couldn't get roles any more.'
Jeff continued: 'It was terrible. My first love was acting but puberty had other ideas. It was a forced retirement. I didn't give up acting. Acting gave me up.'
Nowadays, Jeff is a partner at the law firm he co-founded in 2002, Cohen Gardner LLP.
Now 50 and working as an entertainment lawyer, the former actor rose to fame playing the clumsy but lovable Chunk in the 1985 cult classic produced by Steven Spielberg and co-starring Corey Feldman, Josh Brolin , and Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan
Asked whether he ever worried that his child star past would make potential clients take him less seriously, he said: 'My clients get a kick out of the fact their lawyer is Chunk. They dig it. With my job, I'm dealing with legitimately famous people, so it's just silly and fun. I'm usually only the fifth most famous person in the room at any one time.'
Describing himself as 'goofy, chubby and something of a clown,' the LA native had small parts in US television shows like Webster, The Facts of Life, and Family Ties before landing the role of Chunk in The Goonies when he was just 10.
'It was great,' Cohen - born McMahon - said. 'For me, the best part about it was Richard Donner the director. He was big on letting the kids be kids and I think that's one of the reasons the movie stands up today.'
The UC Berkeley grad continued: 'People still watch the movie themselves or watch it with their own kids. Even though it's very eighties in the fashions it's still kids being kids. Richard Donner wanted us to improvise, talk over each other, push and shove and kind of do our thing.
'I think that's one of the reasons people like it. It doesn't seem like kids acting. It's just kids being themselves, which Richard really encouraged. He wanted us to be comfortable.'
The late filmmaker encouraged his young cast to improvise.
'He would throw little surprises at us during shooting because he wanted to get our real reactions,' Jeff recalled.
'In the scene where Sloth picks me up while I'm strapped to a chair, I was told he wasn't going to pick me up because John Matuszak's back hurt. But of course John was so strong it was nothing to him, so he just picked me up and kissed me. My shock and horror was real. I wasn't that good an actor – that was actual terror on my face.'
In February, the Goonies gang proved that their bond remains as unbreakable as ever, gathering at the TLC Chinese Theater to celebrate Ke Huy Quan—who brought the hilarious Data to life in Richard Donner's iconic adventure.
Brolin (Brand), Feldman (Mouth), Cohen (Chunk), Kerri Green (Andy), and screenwriter Chris Columbus hit the red carpet in high spirits, soaking up the chance to share laughs and snap nostalgic pics with Quan.
The camaraderie was undeniable, with each cast member wrapping Quan in warm hugs, and Cohen—now his entertainment lawyer—delivering an especially proud bear hug.
Though Sean Astin (Mikey) couldn't be there in person, he's already reunited with Quan on-screen, appearing in his latest film Love Hurts—proof that the Goonies spirit is as strong as ever in Hollywood.
The ceremony itself honored Quan for his incredible career, which began at just 12 years old in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and most recently culminated in his Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
As the reunion sparked even more Goonies nostalgia, fans couldn't help but wonder: Could there ever be another adventure for the gang?
Every few months, whispers of a sequel surface, only to be quickly shut down by the original cast—most recently, in September.
A report claimed that The Goonies 2 would be filmed next summer with many of the original cast returning, but actors such as Feldman and Martha Plimpton shut down the report.
'People, there is no 'Goonies 2' script, there is no one "attached,"' Plimpton wrote on Instagram.
'[Steven] Spielberg is not directing, it's not real.' she added.
Feldman said at the time that he had 'no information' whatsoever that a sequel was in development.
The last time the Goonies sequel buzz truly gained traction was back in 2014, when Variety reported that director Donner was attempting to reunite the original cast for The Goonies 2.
At the time, Astin was incredibly optimistic, declaring, 'The Goonies 2 will happen,' and adding, 'I'm 1,000% certain there will be a sequel. I will bet my children on it.'
Sadly, Donner passed away in 2021 at the age of 91, and with him went any hope of that reunion becoming a reality.
As for Cohen, in 2015, he revealed how losing his puppy fat was the end of his acting career.
The former child star - who is now a successful entertainment lawyer - was forced to quit Hollywood for good when he could no longer put himself forward for the 'fat kid roles.'
'There were basically about four fat kids in town, so every time there was a fat kid role you saw the same people at the audition,' the 40-year-old attorney said.
'It was survival of the fattest. But when I hit puberty, it was a career ender for me. I was transforming from Chunk to hunk and I couldn't get roles any more.'
Jeff continued: 'It was terrible. My first love was acting but puberty had other ideas. It was a forced retirement. I didn't give up acting. Acting gave me up.'
Astin would go on to star in Rudy in 1993 and played the great hobbit Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings trilogy in 2001 to 2003.
The actor also starred in the second season of Stranger Things and made a brief appearance in the third episode in the first season.
Josh' most recent success is in the Academy Award-winning adaptation of Dune (2021) and in Dune: Part Two (2024), starring as Gurney Halleck
Before his role as Mouth, Corey already inched his way into Hollywood as a child star and appeared in Stand by Me (1986) and The Lost Boys (1987)
The Goonies catapulted Brolin into Hollywood and after his stint in the classic film he went on to star in No Country for Old Men in 2007.
He was nominated for an Oscar for Milk in 2008, starred in Inherent Vice in 2015 and Hail, Caesar! in 2016.
A few years later, Josh turned his attention to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and starred as the warlord Thanos in the Avengers film series.
Josh' most recent success is in the Academy Award-winning adaptation of Dune (2021) and in Dune: Part Two (2024), starring as Gurney Halleck.
Before his role as Mouth, Corey already inched his way into Hollywood as a child star and appeared in Stand by Me (1986) and The Lost Boys (1987).
Reflecting on his time on The Goonies, Corey said at the 2013 reunion: 'It was like we had the coolest set on the lot.
'Harrison Ford came and walked the caves with us. We felt like we were in Indiana Jones.'
Corey released a documentary in 2020 about the sexual abuse he endured as a child actor in the 1980s.
The 53-year-old has proven to be quite the Hollywood darling following his role in Everything Everywhere All At Once
She has since gone on to appear in an array of films and movies including Raising Hope and Parenthood
Martha was 15 when she appeared in the 1985 classic The Goonies.
She has since gone on to appear in an array of films and movies including Raising Hope and Parenthood.
Plimpton grew up engulfed in showbiz. Her grandfather was John Carradine and both her parents (Keith Carradine and Shelley Plimpton) are actors.
She is also on the board of directors of A is For, a charity which seeks to advance 'women's reproductive rights and end the stigma on abortion care'.
Kerri, 57, was 17-years-old when she played cheerleader Andy and now runs a production company.
In the 1980s, Kerri appeared in Summer Rental (1985), Lucas (1986), and Three for the Road (1987).
She also appeared on TV shows including In the Heat of the Night, ER, Mad About You, and Law & Order: SVU.
Before she started running her own production company, the last film she was in was 2012's Complacent.
The beloved Goonies centers on a group of kids who stumble upon a long-lost treasure map and embark on a daring quest to find the fortune of the notorious pirate One-Eyed Willy—only to be chased by a family of criminals intent on stealing the treasure for themselves.
Produced by Spielberg, the film became an instant classic and remains a staple of 80s cinema.
The Goonies may never die, but it seems that, for now, the treasure hunt will remain a part of the past.
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